Grade: C-
As
we continue to grade the Yankee players’ seasons at the halfway point, it is
Chase Headley’s turn to be analyzed. Headley is currently in the midst of his
third full season in the Bronx, which would make it his third consecutive
mediocre season as the Yankees’ third baseman. After a scorching hot April,
Headley’s dreadful play in May made him an extreme liability in the batting
order. With Gleyber Torres’ injury, Headley has been given more time to try
to finally prove to the Yankees that he was worth the 52-million-dollar
contract that he signed prior to 2015.
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| Photo Credit: Sportsnet |
Chase
Headley silenced all of his former critics at the beginning of the season. In
the month of April, Headley had an OBP of .402, and along with Aaron Judge and
Starlin Castro, he helped carry a Yankee offense that was missing Didi Gregorius
and Gary Sanchez. Everyone thought this could be Headley’s breakout season in
the Bronx, after never putting up numbers like his 2012 season in San Diego.
The
turn of the calendar was also the downward spiral of Headley’s season. He
walked three times as little as he did in April, and his batting average was .140
points lower than it was in April. His struggles became so apparent that Joe
Girardi sat Headley so he could “clear his head.” This method was unsuccessful
as he continued to hit at a .446 OPS, which is lower than what Aaron Judge’s
OBP alone has been for most of the season. Rumors circulated that a certain
minor leaguer would take his job, but he unfortunately suffered a season ending
injury that required Tommy John.
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| Photo Credit: The Runner |
June
was once again another story as Headley has hit close to .300 and has increased
his walk rate back to where it was in April. However, his power numbers are extremely
down and his SLG currently sits at a measly .365. He has hit only four home runs,
three of which were in April, at the season’s halfway point.
Second Half Expectations:
Miguel
Andujar’s solid Major League debut showed the Yankees that there is a quality
replacement within their organization, if Chase Headley fails to produce. With
the pressure on him to perform, Headley will need to continue to hit for a good
average to compensate for his career worst power numbers that he is currently
displaying.
Headley’s
biggest issue is his inability to hit southpaws. Headley is a switch hitter,
and when he is on the right side, he becomes as close to an automatic out as it
gets. Headley is slashing .184/.215/.263 against left handed pitchers. This
split severely drags down Headley’s stats, and he needs to improve his right-handed
swing or abandon it, if he wants to remain an everyday third baseman. If
Headley fails to hit against lefties, expect Andujar or Torreyes to see more
starts at the hot corner.
Conclusion:
Headley’s
above average months of April and June are not reflected in his season
statistics, due to his dreadful May. Headley’s inconsistency makes him
extremely unpredictable, and fans are starting to get restless with their third
baseman. With Torres out, Headley’s job is safer than it was a month ago, but
with the Yankees’ dedication to getting younger, it would not be surprising to
see Headley receive less and less at-bats against lefties and eventually
possibly end up in a platoon-like situation. A grade of a C- may seem a little
harsh for a player that had just one bad month, but it was reminiscent of his
April in 2016 as his numbers were hurting his team way more than contributing
to it for a large portion of the season.
Article by: Ryan Thoms
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